The new elected officials of the San Fernando City Council took the oath of office during an extraordinary meeting

A standing-room-only crowd filled the San Fernando City Council Chambers for the official swearing-in of council members Victoria Garcia and Patty Lopez, who were elected Nov. 5 and will each serve a four-year term.

The five-member city council also unanimously chose Vice Mayor Mary Mendoza as mayor, and after a lengthy and sometimes contentious discussion among council members, they chose Mary Solorio as vice mayor. Both mayoral positions are for one-year terms.

Councilmember Joel Fajardo nominated Mendoza for mayor, seconded by councilmember Garcia. Fajardo described her as “a foundation of our community,” noting, “I know she will treat everyone fairly and justly, both on and off the stage. » Mendoza, who previously served as mayor, said she felt proud and honored to accept the role of mayor of the city of San Fernando.

“I am honored to lead our city and will do so with respect, integrity and a commitment to addressing the priorities that matter most to our residents,” she said. “This includes financial stability, security, improving infrastructure, expanding business opportunities and ensuring access to clean water.

“This is a proud moment, not only for me but also for my family,” she continued, adding that her late brother Arturo “Turi” Chacon, who owned Chacon’s Barber Shop and died in 2023, “would have was particularly proud… (because) he admired my dedication to our city.

Residents address new council members

More than two dozen speakers took turns at the podium in public statements to express support for the two newly elected council members, with most speakers praising Lopez, a former state Assembly member from California and a first-time member of the city council.

Many supporters greeted his victory by sharing prayers and quoting God or biblical passages.

Garcia and Lopez have enjoyed widespread support from conservative religious groups, praising women’s commitment to “traditional family values.”

“It’s such a powerful moment to know that the spirit of God is moving, especially in the city of San Fernando. You see the results when the Holy Spirit gets involved,” said Benito “Benny” Bernal, a conservative resident and politician who lost his bid for the 29th congressional seat to Democratic opponent Luz Rivas in the general election. from November 5.

“We have a personal connection with every representative on the city council,” he continued. “I want to take this moment now to congratulate Victoria Garcia and Patty Lopez on their victory…not won by human beings, but it was literally the spirit of God.”

David Hernandez, founder and president of the Los Angeles Hispanic Republican Club, congratulated Garcia and Lopez on their victories and noted that as council members, they have the opportunity to make vital decisions for the city of San Fernando.

“The decisions you make here impact (residents) every day,” Hernandez said, adding that in the past “some of these decisions have been very costly,” particularly past tax increases.

“This is a very critical time, especially here in the eastern San Fernando Valley, with the passage of Measure G,” he continued. “There will be four supervisory districts added to Los Angeles County and the City of San Fernando must take a lead role in allocating the districts so that the East Valley has its own dedicated supervisor.”

The battle for vice mayor

The contested vice mayor selection process – with council members Fajardo, Solorio and Garcia vying for the position – was lengthy, with the first two rounds of voting resulting in two votes for Fajardo (by Fajardo and Mendoza) , two votes for Garcia. (by Garcia and Lopez) and Solorio, who ran as the only council member voting for herself.

At an impasse, council members debated how to move forward, consulting with City Manager Nick Kimball and other staff on official protocol for breaking the impasse. With no formal municipal policy dictating next steps, council members continued to debate and challenge each other.

Garcia questioned Fajardo’s commitment to attending community events outside of Veterans Day, Memorial Day and Christmas celebrations — noting a concern she’s heard from community members , namely that Fajardo is not always present for small events in the city.

“The issue is whether we will have leaders who can take on that (vice mayor) role and attend the little events that make it special,” Garcia said.

Solorio also addressed Fajardo, reminding her of an earlier promise to support her as vice mayor.

“During the last reorganization, you offered to support me in this cycle, and so here I call on you to support me…and I hope that you can be someone who can lead with your word,” he said. -she declared. Fajardo responded by saying he would keep his word and vote for Solorio and suggested that if Garcia or another council member changed his vote, it would give him the three votes needed to win.

Lopez chose to change his vote from Garcia, thus securing the vice mayor position for Solorio.

Garcia and Lopez thank voters

“I came to this country over 40 years ago as an immigrant and had the opportunity to serve as your elected official in Sacramento,” Lopez said after being sworn in as a city councilor. “When I was there, I did everything I could to have very strong policies to support the…precious families here in the San Fernando Valley.

“I know it’s not going to be easy,” she continued, “but I’m here to listen to every business, every family, not just to be a regular politician. I am here to serve you. …I’m here to support everyone and I don’t have an agenda. My agenda is my community.

Victoria Garcia is sworn in at a special council meeting on Dec. 9. (SFVS/el Sol Photo/Semantha Raquel Norris)

Garcia thanked everyone for attending the meeting, which concluded with live music performed by the mariachi group Estrella del Sur and Urbano y Los Genios, a music group from San Fernando.

“It’s so nice to see you all and see us celebrating our democratic process,” Garcia said. “I have very big ideas. I think we have four great years ahead of us.

Garcia, who ran as an incumbent after winning a special election in March to fill the vacant council seat left after the death of Cindy Montañez, won re-election with nearly 29 percent of the vote. Lopez won by more than 22%, defeating third-place candidate Sean Rivas by 109 votes. Sylvia Ballin and Jason Strickler finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Garcia held two positions simultaneously in the Nov. 5 election: the San Fernando City Council and the State Assembly, running against then-Mayor and Councilwoman Celeste Rodriguez, who won the seat. Rodriguez was sworn in to represent California’s 43rd District on December 2.

Semantha Raquel Norris contributed to this article.